Food Resilient London: Mapping the capital's community food assets

A key strand of the Food Resilient London project was the creation of a community asset map for Food Partnerships and Local Authorities to audit, plan, and better understand the current distribution and capacity of community food provisions.

Alongside the platform, we set out to gather insights through a literature review as well as in depth interviews and consultations with community, borough and regional-level actors to identify the key factors in building community food resilience across London’s communities and identify recommendations for actions to further strengthen London’s preparedness for food emergencies. The research was conducted between 2025 and 2026 through a series of interviews, workshops, and consultations with voluntary, community, faith sector groups and enterprises, as well as other food system stakeholders in London. The insights and recommendations are shared in full in this report.

Key factors in effective community food responses in a time of disruption

Community-led settings, fostering community bonds, enabling community agency and choice, and attracting community ‘buy-in’ such as regular volunteering.

Operational resilience and innovation, diversifying supply and mixed trading models, investing in flexibility and efficiency, reorienting toward shorter and more climate-resilient supply, as well as collaborating with other organisations and services.

Access to investment and resourcing, including funding to invest in above mentioned approaches, infrastructure and other material assets, and skills and training for staff, volunteers and residents.